Elections and Voting: Policy and Legal Issues for the 118th Congress

amendments to these policy areas between 2002 and 2009. Recent Congresses also provided funding to support states

campaign finance, election administration, and voting rights. Each addresses unique but potentially related topics.

national impact, they are primarily administered according to state laws. Article I, Section 4, clause 1 of the

informing Congress as to the constitutional parameters of campaign finance regulation. For example, most recently,

Legislature thereof may direct.” Further, Article II, Section 1, clause 4, provides Congress with the power to determine

and voter registration. HAVA (52 U.S.C. §§ 20901-21145) and the NVRA (52 U.S.C. §§ 20501-20511) address aspects

licenses and during specified other interactions with state agencies. The act also specifies “list maintenance”

Congress’s authority to regulate aspects of federal elections and interpreted certain federal election-related statutes. For

form of an amendment between the houses on an unrelated bill (H.R. 5746). On January 19, 2022, the Senate did not

minority groups. Section 2 of the VRA applies nationwide and has mostly been invoked in challenges to redistricting

primary jurisdiction over constitutional and voting rights issues, including oversight of the Department of Justice

through Financial Services and General Government and consolidated or omnibus appropriations measures. Recent

Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-328). The ECA establishes procedures for a joint session of Congress to

For the People Act; H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA); and H.R. 5314, the

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